Journal

The fresh flowers are the first colors to catch my eye. They beam a welcome and beg me to bury
my nose into their midst and inhale this early summer day. It is still a relatively
cool morning and only the foreshadowing of a hot and humid day teases in the
morning air. I hold the hands of
my little girls a wee bit tighter and tell them to take a deep breath and
smell. Sweetly scented strawberries and those amazing cream filled whoopee pies fill
our noses. The Friday morning
ritual has begun.

A local farmer’s market is a delight for the senses: smells
and sights and tastes of the season inspire healthy eating and the opportunity
to invest in meaningful community relationships. My girls smile and say hello
to the farmer who offers them a taste of her strawberries; my boys scan the
scene, looking for baked goods. I stop to chat with the farmer about the baby
spinach and we exchange ideas about a salad that combines her spinach and
strawberries with the fresh goat cheese to be had a few stalls down from her.
It is early in the farmer’s market season in my town and we are meeting new
friends and re-acquainting ourselves with familiar faces from last year.

I have a list, the fruit of careful research about what to
expect this time of year. I’ve sketched some menus based on what I can
reasonably hope to find. But I know that I will happily skip away from the
plans on the list should one of the farmers have something different to offer,
particularly if they can suggest a way to prepare it.

Sarah, my smallest child, holds my hand tightly, her eyes
wide with wonder, scanning the scene. Tugging me just a bit, she is eager to
absorb it all. She doesn’t remember last year’s visits, when she rode through
this market snuggled up against me in a baby carrier. This is a playground for
a child who is an adventurous, enthusiastic eater of all things fresh and
flavorful. Sarah is eager to taste and see. And so
am I. It is market season at last and we will fill our basket with the fresh
and flavorful: brown eggs, free range chicken, spring greens, abundant ripe
strawberries, asparagus, and a bouquet of those wildflowers. Tonight, our
dinner will be fine, fresh, and rooted firmly in the local soil.

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.

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Make the Most of Your
Trip:

Go early . You will find the best selection if
you arrive early. Early mornings at the market are cooler and everything (and
everyone) is fresh and crisp. The sensory experience of fresh produce artfully
displayed, piled high, and smelling unmistakably of summer is not to be missed.

Go late: If you arrive at the end of the selling
period, there are fewer people there. You won’t have as much from which to
choose, but you are likely to score a bargain or two. Farmers begin to discount
deeply in order to avoid transporting their goods again.

Bring bags or boxes. Some vendors will provide
their own bags, but you can’t count on it and bringing your own will endear you
to the man behind the table.

Bring a cooler (or two) and pack it with ice
packs. You don’t want to limit your buying ability by worrying about whether
everything will wilt and spoil on the hot ride home.

Think big! The best deals to be had are the ones
where you are willing to work in bulk. Whatever is at harvest peak will be most
abundant and least expensive. Buy large and take it home to freeze, can, jelly,
jam or dehydrate.

Bring cash. It’s definitely the preferred currency
and, in many cases, the only currency. Some vendors might participate in the
WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program. If your family qualifies, be sure
to ask about it.

Have a teachable spirit. Ask lots of questions.
Farmers are passionate about what they’ve brought. If you see something
unfamiliar, ask about it. You’ll broaden your horizons and you are very likely
to go home with some new cooking tips, too.

Do a little research ahead of time. Get to know
your local growing times. If you know when to expect each crop to be at its
peak, you’ll make better decisions at each stand. Talk to the famers and ask
what to expect in the coming weeks. This is community-supported agriculture.
Get to know your community and be a part of it.

And, since you know what you are likely to find,
because you know what is in season, have a rough sketch of a meal plan in mind
before you go. You need to be flexible, but a plan that can change is a good
idea. It will keep you from wandering aimlessly, either unable to decide what
to buy or buying too much too impulsively.

Prepare to be spontaneous. Particularly if you
are sharing the experience with children, it’s good to be ready to grant them
each a small treat, whether it’s the season’s first strawberries or something
new they’ve never tired before, indulging in unexpected bounty is part of the
experience.

Expect a little dirt. Root vegetables will still
have greens attached and you’ll have to shake the dirt from them. Everything
will be fresher—but it will definitely look it, too. Learn to clean and store
fresh-from-the-farm treasures.

Fettuccine
Gazpacho Salad

Serves
8 to 10

2
cans (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes (do not drain) or use 10-12 whole fresh
tomatoes, about 2 pounds. You can peel the fresh tomatoes, if you like. I
don’t—it all gets chopped fine in the blender and peeling tomatoes in a hot
kitchen isn’t my favorite thing to do.

Bring 4 quarts of water to
boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until al dente.
Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Place cucumber, red and
yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes, parsley, scallions, and oil in large serving
bowl and toss well to combine.

Add pasta and pureed
dressing and toss again.

Salad should be allowed to sit in the refrigerator at least two hours
and can be refrigerated overnight. This is a great do-ahead dish for a summer
party. Scatter olives over top. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

In a medium bowl, cream butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just
until ingredients are combined. Do not overmix or your crust will be tough and
chewy. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons over blueberry mixture. Try to cover
as much of filling as possible.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden
brown and filling is bubbling.

Whisk together vinegar, a rounded ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon
pepper in a small bowl.

Add oil in a
slow stream, whisking well.

Put mixed greens, strawberries, and pecans in a large bowl
and toss with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat.

Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.

Roasted
Beets in Balsamic Vinaigrette

Beets
“bleed,” so to keep the juices in while they cook, leave on the skins, the roots
on the bottom, and at least an inch of the green stems. It’s especially pretty
to cook both red and yellow beets—you don’t want the colors to bleed on to each
other. After they’re cooked, peel the beets over a bowl, since beet juice
stains are nearly impossible to remove from wood or plastic surfaces. Expect
that your hands will be stained.

This
makes enough for a summer side dish for 4 people. Toss with toasted pecans and
crumbled goat cheese.

OR

Roasted
beets are really good in a salad of mixed greens; the marinade makes a salad
dressing.

2. Trim
the beets, leaving on the skin, an inch of the stem, and the tail on the bottom
of each, then scrub and drain. Place the beets in a small casserole dish just
big enough to hold them. Pour the water and olive oil over the beets then cover
tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake until tender and easily pierced
with a sharp paring knife, about 1 ½ hours. (Honest disclaimer: I do this in a disposable pan. The beet
juice carmelizes, which is delicious, and incredibly hard to clean off the
pan.)

3. Remove
the casserole from the oven and uncover the beets carefully, keeping your face
and hands away from the steam. Let them cool completely in the dish.

4. Meanwhile,
combine the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the salt, and pepper in a
medium-size bowl and whisk to blend. Taste and add more olive oil, if desired.

5. Peel
the cooled beets with the back of a paring knife and cut into ½-inch slices.
Add to the dressing in the bowl and toss gently but thoroughly to coat. Marinate
in the refrigerator, for up to 24 hours.

Zucchini
Bread

Makes one medium loaf

1 medium zucchini

1 medium carrot

¾ cup sugar

½ cup butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 ½ cup unbleached flour or white whole wheat flour

zest of one lemon

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup walnuts

1
large egg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2.
Finely shred the zucchini and carrot.

3.
In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix by hand until
just blended.

4.
Fold in carrots and zucchini.

5.
Transfer to a greased and floured bread pan and bake for approximately 65
minutes.

I'm Elizabeth. I'm a happy wife and the mother of nine children. I grab grace with both hands and write to encourage myself and others to seize and nurture the joy of every day.

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